bull
1 of 7noun (1)
ˈbu̇l 
ˈbəl
1
a
: a male bovine
especially : an adult uncastrated male domestic bovine
b
: a usually adult male of various large animals (such as elephants, whales, or seals)
2
: one who buys securities or commodities in expectation of a price rise or who acts to effect such a rise compare bear
3
: one that resembles a bull (as in brawny physique)
4
: bulldog
5
slang : police officer, detective
6
capitalized : taurus
bull
2 of 7adjective
1
a
: of or relating to a bull
b
: male
a bull calf
c
: suggestive of a bull
2
: large of its kind
a bull lathe
bull
3 of 7verb (1)
bulled; bulling; bulls
intransitive verb
: to advance forcefully
transitive verb
1
: to act on with violence
2
: force
bulled his way through the crowd
bull
4 of 7noun (2)
1
: a solemn papal letter sealed with a bulla or with a red-ink imprint of the device on the bulla
2
: edict, decree
bull
5 of 7verb (2)
bulled; bulling; bulls
transitive verb
slang : to fool especially by fast boastful talk
intransitive verb
slang : to engage in idle and boastful talk
bull
6 of 7noun (3)
1
: a grotesque blunder in language
2
slang : empty boastful talk
3
slang : nonsense sense 2
bull
7 of 7abbreviation
bulletin
Synonyms
Noun (1)
- bobby [British]
- constable [chiefly British]
- cop
- copper
- flatfoot [slang]
- fuzz
- gendarme
- lawman
- officer
- police officer
- policeman
- shamus [slang]
Verb (1)
- bore
- bulldoze
- crash
- elbow
- jam
- jostle
- muscle
- press
- push
- shoulder
- squeeze
Noun (2)
- decree
- diktat
- directive
- edict
- fiat
- rescript
- ruling
- ukase
Verb (2)
- blow
- boast
- brag
- crow
- gasconade
- swagger
- vapor
- vaunt
Noun (3)
- bluster
- bombast
- brag
- braggadocio
- cockalorum
- fanfaronade
- gas
- gasconade
- grandiloquence
- hot air
- magniloquence
- rant
- rodomontade
- rhodomontade
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English bule, from Old English bula; akin to Old Norse boli bull
Noun (2)
Middle English bulle, from Medieval Latin bulla, from Latin, bubble, amulet
Noun (3)
perhaps from obsolete bull to mock
First Known Use
Noun (1)
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Adjective
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb (1)
1884, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Noun (2)
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb (2)
1609, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Noun (3)
1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing bull
Kids Definition
bull
noun
ˈbu̇l
: an adult male ox or an adult male of certain other large animals (as the elephant and the whale)
Biographical Definition
Bull
biographical name
ˈbu̇l
Ole ˈō-lə Bornemann 1810–1880 Norwegian violinist
Bornemann 1810–1880 Norwegian violinist bulls 1 of 4
noun (1)
as in decrees
an order publicly issued by an authority the head office issued a bull banning the use of alcohol at all on-site social functions Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- decrees
- edicts
- rulings
- decisions
- proclamations
- fiats
- directives
- rescripts
- resolutions
- ukases
- determinations
- declarations
- announcements
- opinions
- conclusions
- pronouncements
- diktats
- verdicts
- judgments
- canons
- diagnoses
- judgements
- manifestos
- deliverances
- dicta
- calls
- dictums
- encyclicals
- manifestoes
bulls
2 of 4noun (2)
as in policemen
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level the town's drug dealers and bulls were well acquainted with one another Synonyms & Similar Words
- policemen
- cops
- officers
- constables
- sheriffs
- gendarmes
- lawmen
- coppers
- police officers
- shamuses
- police
- investigators
- inspectors
- bobbies
- dicks
- troopers
- detectives
- men
- sergeants
- fuzzes
- sherlocks
- patrolmen
- constabularies
- marshals
- policewomen
- flatfeet
- lieutenants
- plainclothesmen
- peace officers
- operatives
- gumshoes
- sleuths
- police forces
- hawkshaws
- sleuthhounds
- marshalls
- captains
- private detectives
- private investigators
- private eyes
- heat
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- civilians
bulls
3 of 4verb (1)
as in pushes
to force one's way the beleaguered governor bulled through the crowd of reporters without answering a single question Synonyms & Similar Words
- pushes
- muscles
- shoulders
- squeezes
- elbows
- bores
- rams
- jams
- crashes
- presses
- shoves
- thrusts
- jostles
- bulldozes
bulls
4 of 4verb (2)
as in crows
to praise or express pride in one's own possessions, qualities, or accomplishments often to excess no one bought all his bulling about how he had beaten the stock market Synonyms & Similar Words
- crows
- boasts
- brags
- vapors
- blows
- displays
- exhibits
- gasconades
- vaunts
- swaggers
- blows smoke
- harangues
- parades
- puffs
- prides
- gushes
- glories
- exults
- blusters
- rejoices
- shows off
- exposes
- flaunts
- maximizes
- brandishes
- magnifies
- glorifies
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- poohs
- discounts
- diminishes
- minimizes
- laughs off
- underrates
- shrugs off
- deprecates
- belittles
- plays down
- undervalues
- regrets
- laments
- pooh-poohs
- mourns
- bemoans